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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. scale — in music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. swing — to play on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — size or range
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stock — shares
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — boats
  18. swing — in golf
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com